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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · squash · stick · row · foot · ruler · fork · band

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. row — a line
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. squash — to crush
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. band — a ring
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. foot — a measure
  15. row — to paddle
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fork — in a road
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. fork — to eat with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com